Track market-moving stories before they get noisy

Rubio: US and Iran to continue technical consultations at the end of this month

Multiple foreign media outlets reported on the 24th that US Secretary of State Rubio said technical teams from the United States and Iran will hold further talks in Switzerland by the end of June. (Xinhua News Agency)

5 hours ago

Over the past 24 hours, total crypto market liquidations hit $606 million, with more than 130,000 traders liquidated.

According to Coinglass data, the global cryptocurrency market recorded $606 million in liquidations over the past 24 hours, including $542 million in long-position liquidations and $68.22 million in short-position liquidations. A total of 135,785 traders worldwide were liquidated in the same period, with the largest single liquidation order occurring on Binance’s BTCUSDT trading pair, valued at $12.0111 million.

5 hours ago

Bitcoin falls below $60,000

According to HTX market data, Bitcoin has fallen below $60,000, with a 4.3% drop in the past 24 hours.

5 hours ago

US Treasury Secretary: AI boom may boost productivity and help curb inflation.

US Treasury Secretary Bessent told CNBC in an interview that he hopes the Federal Reserve will remain "open-minded" about the inflation pattern after the reversal of Iran-related energy price hikes. Bessent noted that the U.S. could enter an economic environment marked by high GDP growth without a corresponding rise in traditional inflation. He cited that in the 1990s, Alan Greenspan foresaw that office modernization and the internet could drive non-inflationary growth, and allowed the economy to keep expanding. Bessent believes the U.S. has a strong chance of seeing a similar scenario again. When asked whether the Fed still needs to worry about potential inflation and whether interest rate cuts are possible this year or next, Bessent declined to comment. However, he argued that it is necessary to stay open-minded about the price or inflation impacts from the Iran conflict, and monitor inflation performance after those effects subside. Bessent also said an open mind is needed, as the AI boom could boost productivity and deliver disinflationary effects, helping inflation return to the Fed’s target level. He added that he believes Kevin Warsh will choose the optimal path that meets both the Fed’s inflation and growth mandates. Bessent also noted that Warsh previously took a hawkish stance on inflation.

5 hours ago

US stocks' intraday storage sector sees broad declines, with Western Digital and Seagate Technology both falling over 4%.

According to Bitget data, during U.S. stock trading hours, the storage sector saw broad declines: Western Digital (WDC) fell 4.47%, Seagate Technology (STX) dropped 4.17%, SanDisk (SNDK) declined 2.31%, and Micron Technology (MU) edged down 0.96%. Most optical communication concept stocks rose, with Corning (GLW) leading the gains at 9.75%, followed by Ciena (CIEN) up 3.24%, Coherent (COHR) rising 2.93%, Lumentum (LITE) gaining 2.61%, and Nokia (NOK) advancing 1.82%. Additionally, Marvell Technology (MRVL) fell 2.59% and Applied Optoelectronics (AAOI) declined 1.90%.

5 hours ago

During intraday trading in U.S. stocks, crypto-related concept stocks fell broadly, with MSTR dropping more than 7%.

According to Bitget market data, the three major U.S. stock indexes rose broadly: the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.94%, the S&P 500 increased 0.60%, and the Nasdaq rose 0.63%. Crypto-related stocks fell across the board, with declines as follows: Strategy (MSTR) down 7.33%; Circle (CRCL) down 4.35%; Bitmine (BMNR) down 3.97%; Coinbase (COIN) down 3.73%; Robinhood (HOOD) down 3.70%; Gemini (GEMI) down 3.27%; Bullish (BLSH) down 3.25%; Sharplink (SBET) down 3.19%.

5 hours ago

The vulnerability that led to ZetaChain’s recent exploit had been flagged through its bug bounty program before the attack, but was dismissed as intended behavior.

In a post-mortem published Wednesday, the team said the incident has prompted a review of how it handles bug bounty submissions, particularly reports involving chained attack vectors that may appear harmless in isolation but are dangerous in combination.

“This bug was reported and they simply ignored it,” one user wrote on X. “That's how bug bounty programs work with these protocols currently; they incentivize losses for the protocol, the TVL, and the user's balance instead of paying the researcher for discovering and fixing the bug,” they added.

ZetaChain lost approximately $334,000 to a premeditated exploit on Sunday that targeted its cross-chain gateway contract. The exploit drained funds across nine transactions on four chains, including Ethereum, Arbitrum, Base and BSC, all from ZetaChain-controlled wallets. No user funds were affected.

Attacker exploits small design flawsZetaChain said in its post-mortem that the attacker exploited three design flaws that, individually, might have seemed minor, but together opened the door to a full drain. First, the gateway allowed anyone to send arbitrary cross-chain instructions with no restrictions. Second, on the receiving end, it would execute almost any command on any contract, with a blocklist so narrow it missed basic token transfer functions.

Third, wallets that had previously used the gateway had left unlimited spending permissions in place that were never cleaned up. By combining all three, the attacker simply told the gateway to transfer tokens from victim wallets to their own, and the gateway complied.

Source: ZetaChain

“This was not an opportunistic attack,” ZetaChain said in its post-mortem. The attacker funded their wallet through Tornado Cash three days before the exploit, deployed a purpose-built drainer contract on ZetaChain and ran an address poisoning campaign before seeding it into their transaction history via dust transfers.

ZetaChain added that a patch permanently disabling the arbitrary call functionality is being rolled out to mainnet nodes. The platform also removed unlimited token approvals from its deposit flow, replacing them with exact-amount approvals going forward.

AI DeFi exploit success rate increasesA new study by a16z tested whether an off-the-shelf AI agent could go beyond identifying DeFi vulnerabilities and actually produce working exploits. Using OpenAI's Codex against a dataset of 20 real Ethereum price manipulation incidents, researchers ran the agent in a sandboxed environment with no access to future transaction data and no guidance on how the attacks worked. The agent succeeded in just 10% of cases.

However, when researchers fed the agent structured knowledge about common attack patterns and exploit workflows, the success rate jumped to 70%.

Magazine: How to fix suspected insider trading on Polymarket and Kalshi

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ZetaChain has acknowledged that a vulnerability behind its recent exploit had already been reported through its bug bounty program, but was treated as expected behavior.

According to ZetaChain’s post-mortem published Wednesday, the incident has triggered an internal review of how the protocol evaluates bug bounty submissions, especially those involving multi-step attack paths that may appear harmless when viewed separately.

The disclosure follows an attack on Sunday that targeted the project’s cross-chain gateway contract, draining about $334,000 across nine transactions on Ethereum, Arbitrum, Base, and BSC, all from wallets controlled by the team. 

ZetaChain stated that no user funds were impacted, a point it had also emphasized a day earlier when it paused cross-chain transactions on its mainnet to contain the breach.

DefiLlama data had earlier estimated the losses at roughly $300,000, while ZetaChain said at the time that it would release a full breakdown after completing its investigation.

Flaws combined to enable full drain ZetaChain said the attacker chained together three separate design weaknesses that, on their own, did not appear critical but together enabled the exploit. The gateway contract allowed unrestricted cross-chain instructions to be sent, while the receiving side executed nearly any command on any contract, with a limited blocklist that failed to cover basic token transfer functions.

Existing wallets that had interacted with the gateway retained unlimited token approvals, which were not revoked. By combining these conditions, the attacker instructed the gateway to move tokens from those wallets, and the system executed the transfers without resistance.

“This was not an opportunistic attack,” ZetaChain said, outlining how the attacker prepared in advance by funding a wallet through Tornado Cash three days before the exploit, deploying a custom drainer contract on ZetaChain, and running an address poisoning campaign before initiating the transactions.

Bug report dismissed before exploit In its post-mortem, ZetaChain confirmed that the core issue had been raised earlier through its bug bounty program but was not treated as a threat at the time. The team said this has prompted a reassessment of how it handles reports that describe complex attack combinations rather than isolated bugs.

“This bug was reported and they simply ignored it,” one user wrote on X, adding that current bug bounty structures often fail to reward researchers for identifying vulnerabilities before they are exploited.

Following the incident, ZetaChain said it has disabled the gateway’s arbitrary call functionality through a patch being rolled out to mainnet nodes. The platform has also removed unlimited token approvals from its deposit process, replacing them with exact-amount approvals to reduce risk from similar attack patterns.

Key Takeaways Table of Contents

Key TakeawaysCross-Chain Gateway Weakness Exploited Across Multiple NetworksPersistent Token Allowances Facilitated Fund DrainageEmergency Response and Industry-Wide Security Concerns Cross-chain protocol loses $334K through gateway contract vulnerability

Attack exploited unlimited token approvals and arbitrary function calls

Security breach affected internal team wallets across four blockchain networks

Platform implements emergency patch and pauses cross-chain operations

No user funds compromised during the security incident

A security breach on ZetaChain resulted in the theft of approximately $334,000 through vulnerabilities in its cross-chain gateway infrastructure. The attack specifically targeted internal team wallets using a sophisticated multi-chain approach. Platform operators responded by immediately suspending services and implementing security patches.

Cross-Chain Gateway Weakness Exploited Across Multiple Networks According to ZetaChain’s official statement, the security breach centered on the GatewayEVM contract, which manages cross-chain message passing and token transfers. Malicious actors exploited design flaws to execute unauthorized withdrawals. The theft spanned four blockchain networks: Ethereum, Arbitrum, Base, and BSC.

The platform disclosed that attackers leveraged multiple security gaps within the messaging infrastructure. The gateway system permitted unrestricted function calls between connected blockchains. This architectural weakness allowed remote activation of critical contract functions without proper safeguards.

Technical analysis revealed that the recipient contract processed diverse command types, including direct token movement operations. Insufficient validation mechanisms failed to prevent malicious instructions. Attackers capitalized on these loose restrictions to siphon funds from compromised addresses.

Persistent Token Allowances Facilitated Fund Drainage The exploit mechanism relied heavily on pre-existing unlimited token approvals granted to the gateway smart contract. These permissions had been established during earlier deposit transactions and never revoked. Attackers utilized transferFrom functions to extract ERC-20 tokens from wallets with active allowances.

Platform representatives emphasized that the security incident exclusively affected three wallets under team control. End-user deposits and holdings remained completely secure throughout the attack. The breach highlighted significant risks associated with permanent token permission grants.

Interestingly, security researchers had previously flagged this vulnerability through the platform’s bug bounty initiative. However, the submission was dismissed as intended functionality rather than a critical flaw. This classification error became a contributing factor when combined with other system weaknesses during the actual exploit.

Emergency Response and Industry-Wide Security Concerns Upon detecting the unauthorized transactions, ZetaChain immediately halted all cross-chain functionality. Engineers rapidly developed and deployed remediation code eliminating the arbitrary call feature. Services remain suspended pending comprehensive security audits and system enhancements.

The updated architecture replaces blanket token approvals with transaction-specific permission models. This modification significantly limits potential attack vectors in future operations. Platform administrators urged all users to revoke outstanding allowances associated with gateway infrastructure.

Investigation revealed sophisticated attack preparation by the perpetrators. Initial funding came through Tornado Cash privacy protocol, while address poisoning tactics created confusion. Stolen assets were immediately converted to ETH, complicating tracking efforts.

This incident adds to growing concerns about smart contract security across decentralized finance ecosystems. Industry data indicates increasing frequency of exploits targeting architectural vulnerabilities in recent months. ZetaChain announced comprehensive reviews of both bug bounty procedures and overall security protocols.

Oliver Dale

Editor-in-Chief of Blockonomi and founder of Kooc Media, A UK-Based Online Media Company. Believer in Open-Source Software, Blockchain Technology & a Free and Fair Internet for all. His writing has been quoted by Nasdaq, Dow Jones, Investopedia, The New Yorker, Forbes, Techcrunch & More. Contact [email protected]

The ZetaChain’s $334K exploit was preventable if the team had taken earlier bug reports seriously. 

In the post-mortem report, the team admitted that the gateway vulnerability leveraged by the attacker had been disclosed in a bug bounty program, but they dismissed it. 

Prior to the exploit, the vulnerability class had been reported through our bug bounty program. Initial reports were dismissed as the arbitrary call behavior was considered by design.

Going forward, the project added, it will review all bug bounty submissions to ensure “reports involving chained attack vectors receive appropriate severity assessment.” 

That said, the project clarified that protocol-controlled wallets were the ones drained of $334K, adding that no user funds were lost. 

April crypto hack losses top $600M In April, the losses from the rising crypto hacks hit $629 million, according to data tracked by DeFiLlama. This was the highest level of monthly losses so far in 2026. 

In fact, even when zoomed out on a year-on-year (YoY) basis, it was still the largest loss.

Source: DeFiLlama  This week alone, Aftermath Perps lost $1.14 million while Sweat Foundation suffered a $3.5M breach. ZetaChain, Judao, Scallop Lend, Syndicate, and Quant also suffered exploits ranging between $150K to $413K each. 

Last week, Volo Vault, Purrlend, and Giddy also added to the growing list of victims. Perhaps the most notable victim in April is the Kelp DAO’s $293 million exploit, which triggered massive outflows across the DeFi ecosystem. 

Yet, some of these exploits are preventable, especially with strong bug bounty programs. In the ZetaChain case, for example, there was a prior bug submission, which was ignored.

At the same time, the attacker did some tests before the exploit, which could be flagged by strong threat monitoring. 

Now the industry will contend with another powerful threat actor: AI-powered models. Cybersecurity models with offensive capabilities like Anthropic’s Claude-powered Mythos and recently announced OpenAI’s GPT-5.5-Cyber are yet to be made public. 

The reported offensive capability of these models should be a warning sign for the entire industry to take security measures more seriously or forget about mass adoption. 

Final Summary ZetaChain admitted its $334K exploit was from a bug that was previously reported but wasn’t acted on. Losses linked to DeFi hacks in April have now crossed $600M, underscoring the need for proactive threat detection. 

PANews reported on June 2nd that ZetaChain has fully transitioned from cross-chain infrastructure to AI, positioning itself as a "Private Memory Layer" for AI. The official statement indicated that after four years of building cross-chain infrastructure, the team's exploration of whether interoperability can extend from chains and assets to AI intelligence itself has been validated.

ZetaChain's AI product, Anuma, surpassed 60,000 users in its first month. It allows users to share the same set of context, preferences, and memories across multiple mainstream models, including ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, DeepSeek, and Kimi, eliminating the need to repeatedly build background information when switching models. ZetaChain states that Anuma's core is "user-owned privacy AI." Users can log in directly through their wallets without needing personal information such as email or name; all memory content is encrypted on the user's device, rather than stored on the platform's servers.

In addition, ZetaChain announced a new incentive mechanism around ZETA. Users who lock ZETA can earn Anuma Tokens daily and redeem AI credits to use various AI models; users who lock 80,000 ZETA will automatically unlock Anuma Pro, which includes higher amounts of AI credits, all models, and full privacy features.

ZetaChain has previously focused on cross-chain interoperability infrastructure, and this time it has further proposed the concept of "AI Consumer Layer", which will attempt to build a new AI user layer around memory, identity, permissions, payment and agent collaboration.

Grayscale's head of research, Zach Pandl, commented on the Anthropic ban, drawing attention to Bittensor.

16.06.2026 - 15:21

Update: 16.06.2026 - 15:21

The Anthropic Claude model, which was taken offline at the request of the US government for its Mythos 5 and Fable 5 versions, has reignited debates in the artificial intelligence world.

While this ban has also attracted market attention, Grayscale research head Zach Pandl evaluated the developments in the latest report.

As is known, on June 12, the US government announced that it was blocking access to Anthropic’s Mythos-level models for foreign nationals on grounds of national security.

Grayscale research director Zach Pandl stated that the US ban on the Anthropic AI model has strengthened decentralized projects.

Accordingly, Pandl argued that the US government’s decision to block Anthropic’s latest AI model has increased demand for decentralized AI projects like Bittensor (TAO).

At this point, Pandl noted that in the US and China, the two leading countries in the field of artificial intelligence, very few companies hold control over the AI sector.

In response, Pandl stated that Bittensor aims to provide permissionless AI access through an open, global, and decentralized network, and that Bittensor is the Bitcoin of the AI sector.

“Bittensor is the Bitcoin of the AI sector… What Bitcoin did for money, Bittensor is doing for AI.”

Recently, access to artificial intelligence has also become very important.

Pandl also noted that the price of TAO increased by 30% in 12 hours following the announcement of the restrictions on the Mythos model, concluding that demand for decentralized alternatives is increasing as centralized providers restrict access to AI.

*This is not investment advice.

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SponsoredUpdated Jun 17, 2026, 1:11 p.m. Published Jun 17, 2026, 12:54 p.m.

2 min read

Summary

A new Bittensor proposal called Root Reborn would overhaul how yield is paid to TAO stakers by turning validators into active allocators of capital across AI subnets.Instead of automatically selling subnet tokens for TAO each block, validators would reinvest rewards into selected subnets, creating compounding baskets that stakers can still cash out to TAO at any time.The code, currently submitted for a test network on GitHub, has already undergone an automated review that flagged two serious issues the author says are now fixed, with further cleanup planned before any mainnet release.A new proposal for Bittensor, the decentralized AI network behind the TAO token, would change how the network pays its validators and turn them into something closer to fund managers.

Bittensor is built from dozens of subnets, each a marketplace for a different AI task, with its own token. TAO is the network's main token. Users earn yield by staking TAO to validators on the root, the layer considered the network's safest place to park capital.

The new proposal changes how yield is paid.

Right now, the system funds it by selling the rewards owed to root stakers and automatically swapping out subnet tokens for TAO. That means the network is constantly selling the very tokens its subnets are built on, which drives down their prices.

The proposal, called Root Reborn and submitted by developer 'unconst,' flips that.

Instead of selling everything, each validator would choose a set of subnets to support, much like picking holdings for a fund. The yield that would have been sold is reinvested into the chosen subnets, held as a basket that compounds over time, and staked back to the validator. Stakers still get their yield and can cash out to TAO whenever they want.

Such a mechanism stops the constant selling pressure and turns it into net buying that supports subnet prices.

Validators turn from passive yield pipes into active curators, since subnets they back attract fresh capital, while those they judge to be bad actors get starved of it.

The proposal is a code submission on Bittensor's GitHub as of Wednesday, aimed at a test network rather than the main one.

Meanwhile, an early automated review flagged two serious issues, including an upgrade step that could choke on large amounts of data and a payout path that could shortchange stakers when a subnet shuts down. The author said in a GitHub response that those issues are fixed, with more cleanup listed before any mainnet release.

Bittensor's token, TAO, has fallen 28% over the last 12 months, while bitcoin has fallen 38% over the same period. The token's staking yield currently sits around 17% if users hold TAO for a year.

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Manako Labs has launched a vision AI agent platform that converts standard enterprise cameras into real-time operational intelligence systems, powered by Bittensor’s decentralized Score Subnet 44 (SN44).

How Manako’s vision AI actually works Manako’s platform uses a no-code interface that lets users describe what they want to monitor in plain English. You type “alert me when someone enters the restricted zone” or “detect spills on the warehouse floor,” and the system generates a lightweight vision model to handle it.

The models are roughly 19MB in size, small enough to run on a standard CPU. Users can test these models with uploaded footage before connecting them to live camera feeds. Manako reportedly doesn’t access any of the video feeds itself — processing happens at the edge, on the enterprise’s own infrastructure.

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When the system detects something noteworthy, it sends Slack notifications along with timestamped video clips.

According to Manako, enterprises currently generate actionable insights from less than 2% of captured camera data.

The Bittensor connection Manako’s platform runs on Bittensor’s Score Subnet 44, a decentralized computer vision network within the broader Bittensor ecosystem. SN44 focuses specifically on computer vision scoring, where miners compete to develop and deliver the most effective models for tasks such as object detection and event recognition.

Strategic milestones In April 2026, Manako secured a strategic partnership with PwC France & Maghreb for enterprise advisory integration.

The company won the overall Start in Block 2026 award at Paris Blockchain Week, selected from a pool of over 1,000 applicants.

On June 2, 2026, Manako received a $1 million investment from TaoWeave, earmarked specifically for expansion into the North American market.

Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.

Yuma, one of Bittensor’s largest contributors and the network’s third-largest validator, has published a detailed critique of the proposed “Root Reborn” upgrade, arguing that the design introduces governance, regulatory, and market structure risks that outweigh its potential benefits.

Summary

Yuma has opposed Bittensor’s proposed Root Reborn upgrade, warning that it could introduce conflicts of interest, regulatory concerns, and new risks for stakers. The proposal would allow validators to allocate root staking rewards across subnet tokens instead of automatically converting rewards into TAO. Yuma said subnets backed by validator allocations could benefit from additional demand, but called for more testing, risk analysis, and a formal upgrade roadmap before deployment. The proposal, currently under review and not yet active on mainnet, would overhaul how root staking rewards are handled. Under the existing system, root dividends are effectively paid by automatically converting subnet alpha emissions back into TAO. The new design would stop those automatic sales.

🧠 Bittensor $TAO upgrade watch: Root Reborn

A new Subtensor PR proposes one of the larger changes to Bittensor’s root validation structure so far.

Today, root dividends are effectively paid by auto-swapping subnet alpha back into TAO. This creates constant sell pressure on… pic.twitter.com/UNLFsKzcsl

— tao.bot (τ, τ) (@taodotbot) June 18, 2026 Instead, validators would set allocation weights across subnets. Root emissions would then be deployed into validator-selected baskets of subnet tokens, with stakers receiving redeemable claims on those positions rather than direct TAO rewards.

The proposal states that the change would reduce automatic sell pressure on subnet assets and make validator allocation decisions a more important part of the network economy. It would also introduce new tools to track validator basket net asset value, subnet allocations, staker liabilities, and network-wide basket performance.

Yuma said the proposal changes the role of validators from infrastructure operators into active allocators of capital.

“In its current form, the Root Reborn proposal carries substantial unmitigated risk that outweighs its benefits,” the validator group wrote.

The following analysis is a byproduct of lack of process within the ecosystem that leaves business builders limited notice or ability to properly plan, assess risk, and execute.

We are responding rapidly to the code we’ve seen thus far, in the forum where we see it being… https://t.co/cZ3DQD2gkU

— Yuma (@YumaGroup) June 18, 2026 Yuma warns of conflicts and regulatory exposure Yuma argued that validators would gain significant influence over capital flows inside the Bittensor ecosystem, creating incentives that may not always align with the interests of delegators.

The group said validators could direct allocations toward subnets in which they already hold positions or accept external incentives from subnet operators seeking additional capital. Yuma compared the structure to the lessons of the LIBOR scandal, where a small group of participants held influence over key financial benchmarks.

“Moral hazard is acute,” Yuma wrote, adding that validators should be expected to maximize their own financial returns.

The organization also questioned whether validator performance could be measured effectively under the proposed system. It said validators would not control redemption timing, making it difficult to maintain target portfolio allocations as users enter and exit positions.

Over time, Yuma argued, new emissions would represent an increasingly small portion of large validator baskets, limiting a validator’s ability to materially influence performance through future allocation decisions.

The report also raised concerns about regulatory treatment. Yuma said validators currently direct blockchain emissions, but Root Reborn would place them in a position where they actively determine subnet token exposure for delegators.

“Validators are no longer simply providing a neutral technological service due to the requirement to also set weights for subnet token rewards,” the group wrote.

Proposal seeks to reduce sell pressure on subnet assets Supporters of the proposal have presented the upgrade as a mechanism to keep more value inside the subnet economy.

A summary accompanying the Subtensor pull request stated that root yield would move away from automatic subnet token sales and toward reinvestment across validator-selected subnets. The proposal described the change as a way to make validator selection depend on capital allocation decisions rather than primarily on fees or staking yields.

The proposal also said delegators would gain additional transparency through dashboard tools that display basket composition, net asset value, and outstanding liabilities owed to stakers.

Yuma acknowledged that subnets receiving validator allocations could benefit from increased demand and stronger token prices. The group wrote that subnets awarded meaningful weights would likely experience net-positive price effects, while subnets receiving little or no allocation could see neutral outcomes.

At the same time, Yuma warned that the structure could encourage lobbying efforts by subnet operators seeking validator support. The report said new projects may face greater barriers to entry if relationships with validators become an important factor in attracting capital.

The validator group also identified operational risks. Its report cited escrow concentration in a single coldkey, redemption dynamics that could create losses for late redeemers during periods of heavy withdrawals, repeated slippage costs from basket rebalancing, and execution challenges if network activity scales significantly.

Yuma urged the OpenTensor Foundation and network stakeholders to consider alternative approaches that allow stakers to express subnet preferences directly through opt-in mechanisms rather than concentrating allocation decisions among validators.

The group also called for a published upgrade roadmap, a defined release process, additional testing, and formal risk evaluation before any implementation proceeds.

The debate arrives days after Bittensor attracted renewed market attention following comments from Grayscale Head of Research Zach Pandl, who argued that recent U.S. restrictions on Anthropic’s advanced AI models could strengthen demand for decentralized AI networks. Pandl wrote that investors may increasingly look toward alternatives such as Bittensor as access to frontier AI systems becomes subject to centralized controls.

TAO (TAO) climbed roughly 30% within 12 hours after those developments, as per previous coverage on crypto.news. However, as of press time, TAO is down over 6% as traders weigh the recent concerns around the Root Rebor proposal.

Bittensor [TAO] remained under strong selling pressure. Since its rejection at $285, the altcoin has posted lower lows for seven consecutive days.

During this decline, TAO dropped to $222 and appeared close to erasing all gains made earlier this month.

Amid the sustained sell-off, the altcoin fell below both its short- and long-term moving averages, signaling persistent bearish pressure.

Source: TradingView On top of that, the Relative Strength Index (RSI) formed a bearish crossover and dropped to 44. The RSI’s move deeper into bearish territory reinforced the weakening market structure.

Are whales driving TAO lower? AMBCrypto observed that TAO’s recent weakness coincided with rising whale activity. Data from CryptoQuant’s Spot Average Order Size showed large orders entering the market over the past week.

Source: CryptoQuant The spike suggested heightened whale participation in the Spot market. However, the metric alone could not determine whether whales were buying or selling.

By contrast, Spot Taker CVD remained negative throughout the same period. That indicated sellers maintained control of market activity.

Source: CryptoQuant Taken together, the two metrics suggested active whales were primarily selling. That selling pressure appeared to be a key driver behind TAO’s continued decline.

In fact, the Spot Buy Sell Volume metric reinforced this trend. Since the 14th of June, sell volume has consistently exceeded buy volume.

As a result, the Buy Sell Delta remained negative for seven straight days, highlighting persistent Spot selling pressure.

Source: CryptoQuant Can TAO avoid another drop? Bittensor [TAO] continued to face strong downward pressure, with whale-led selling dominating market activity.

If current conditions persist, the altcoin could revisit $214. A break below that level may expose the key psychological support at $200.

Even so, losing $200 could strengthen bearish momentum and open the door to a decline toward $185.

To invalidate the bearish outlook, TAO would need to reclaim its short-term EMAs and close above $248. If buyers achieve that, the altcoin could regain strength and attempt a move toward $280, where the previous rally stalled.

Final Summary Bittensor’s recent decline coincided with rising whale selling, which helped push TAO below key moving averages. Spot market data showed sellers remained dominant, increasing the risk of another move toward $214 or $200.

3 days ago

On June 22, Bittensor co-founder Const published a comprehensive article outlining the project’s current centralized governance framework and its roadmap to full decentralization. He noted Bittensor is not yet fully decentralized—unlike Bitcoin—but clarified this is not a design flaw; rather, it’s a strategic choice tailored to AI’s early, fast-evolving phase. Unlike Bitcoin, which faced headwinds from national financial systems at its launch, AI is still in its infancy, so Bittensor is prioritizing innovation speed and protocol iteration efficiency over early adoption of slow, on-chain governance led by a decentralized community. Instead, the core team will steer key upgrades to refine network mechanics and economic models in the near term. Const emphasized Bittensor has already achieved decentralization at its most critical levels: token distribution, network ownership, and ecosystem participation rights. Since launch, the project has never engaged in pre-mining, has operated for over five years, and distributed TAO tokens to global contributors via open, competitive processes. Today, its ecosystem includes 128 subnet teams, more than 20 core validator groups, plus numerous independent developers and community members. Anyone can build a subnet, participate in mining, or use AI services on the network without permission, which Const frames as "ownership decentralization." The only remaining centralized elements relate to core protocol development direction and upgrade decisions—parallel to Bitcoin’s early days, when Satoshi Nakamoto led network progress. Looking ahead, Bittensor plans to: boost validator competition mechanisms; add bidirectional trading and shorting features to open liquidity pools; grant Alpha token holders governance rights via its Conviction mechanism; refine the TaoFlow and DTAO emission distribution models; and clean out teams that long extract value without contributing to ecosystem growth. Const expects that in roughly 18 months, once its incentive, value discovery, and ownership systems are fully integrated, Bittensor will complete its final stage of decentralization. At that point, the core team will step away from control, allowing the network to operate independently in a programmatic, tamper-proof manner—ultimately realizing its vision of the "Millennial Intelligent Federation."

Relevant content

Rubio: US and Iran to continue technical consultations at the end of this month

Multiple foreign media outlets reported on the 24th that US Secretary of State Rubio said technical teams from the United States and Iran will hold further talks in Switzerland by the end of June. (Xinhua News Agency)

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Over the past 24 hours, total crypto market liquidations hit $606 million, with more than 130,000 traders liquidated.

According to Coinglass data, the global cryptocurrency market recorded $606 million in liquidations over the past 24 hours, including $542 million in long-position liquidations and $68.22 million in short-position liquidations. A total of 135,785 traders worldwide were liquidated in the same period, with the largest single liquidation order occurring on Binance’s BTCUSDT trading pair, valued at $12.0111 million.

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Bitcoin falls below $60,000

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US Treasury Secretary: AI boom may boost productivity and help curb inflation.

US Treasury Secretary Bessent told CNBC in an interview that he hopes the Federal Reserve will remain "open-minded" about the inflation pattern after the reversal of Iran-related energy price hikes. Bessent noted that the U.S. could enter an economic environment marked by high GDP growth without a corresponding rise in traditional inflation. He cited that in the 1990s, Alan Greenspan foresaw that office modernization and the internet could drive non-inflationary growth, and allowed the economy to keep expanding. Bessent believes the U.S. has a strong chance of seeing a similar scenario again. When asked whether the Fed still needs to worry about potential inflation and whether interest rate cuts are possible this year or next, Bessent declined to comment. However, he argued that it is necessary to stay open-minded about the price or inflation impacts from the Iran conflict, and monitor inflation performance after those effects subside. Bessent also said an open mind is needed, as the AI boom could boost productivity and deliver disinflationary effects, helping inflation return to the Fed’s target level. He added that he believes Kevin Warsh will choose the optimal path that meets both the Fed’s inflation and growth mandates. Bessent also noted that Warsh previously took a hawkish stance on inflation.

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US stocks' intraday storage sector sees broad declines, with Western Digital and Seagate Technology both falling over 4%.

According to Bitget data, during U.S. stock trading hours, the storage sector saw broad declines: Western Digital (WDC) fell 4.47%, Seagate Technology (STX) dropped 4.17%, SanDisk (SNDK) declined 2.31%, and Micron Technology (MU) edged down 0.96%. Most optical communication concept stocks rose, with Corning (GLW) leading the gains at 9.75%, followed by Ciena (CIEN) up 3.24%, Coherent (COHR) rising 2.93%, Lumentum (LITE) gaining 2.61%, and Nokia (NOK) advancing 1.82%. Additionally, Marvell Technology (MRVL) fell 2.59% and Applied Optoelectronics (AAOI) declined 1.90%.

5 hours ago

During intraday trading in U.S. stocks, crypto-related concept stocks fell broadly, with MSTR dropping more than 7%.

According to Bitget market data, the three major U.S. stock indexes rose broadly: the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.94%, the S&P 500 increased 0.60%, and the Nasdaq rose 0.63%. Crypto-related stocks fell across the board, with declines as follows: Strategy (MSTR) down 7.33%; Circle (CRCL) down 4.35%; Bitmine (BMNR) down 3.97%; Coinbase (COIN) down 3.73%; Robinhood (HOOD) down 3.70%; Gemini (GEMI) down 3.27%; Bullish (BLSH) down 3.25%; Sharplink (SBET) down 3.19%.

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Bittensor co-founder Jacob Steeves wants the protocol he helped build to no longer need him. The man known as “Const” in crypto circles has published a roadmap to fully decentralize Bittensor within 18 months, targeting a completion date around December 2027.

The decentralization deficit Bittensor, co-founded by Steeves and Ala Shaabana, has built genuine decentralized ownership among its participants over more than five years of operation. The network currently runs 128 active subnet teams and more than 20 core validator teams.

But ownership and control are not the same thing. Bittensor’s governance structure has relied on what’s been called a “triumvirate” model, and critics have argued it concentrates too much power in too few hands. The core team’s grip on the economic incentive layer, the mechanism that determines how rewards flow through the network, has been a persistent sore point.

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That criticism reached a boiling point in April 2026 when Covenant AI, a participant in the Bittensor ecosystem, exited the network entirely. Covenant AI accused the protocol of “decentralization theatre,” alleging unilateral control by Steeves over key network decisions. TAO’s price dropped roughly 18-20% in the aftermath.

The roadmap: what Steeves is actually proposing Steeves’ plan isn’t a single flip-the-switch moment. He’s outlined a phased approach that touches several core components of how Bittensor operates.

First, the roadmap calls for raising validator competition. Second, the plan includes implementing bidirectional liquidity pools. Third, Steeves wants to introduce a conviction-based voting mechanism for Alpha token holders. This type of system weights votes based on how long a holder commits their tokens, rewarding long-term alignment over short-term speculation.

The roadmap also includes updates to the TaoFlow algorithm, which governs how incentives are distributed across the network’s subnets.

Steeves resigned as CEO of the Opentensor Foundation in February 2026, months before announcing this roadmap. The move was explicitly framed as reducing key-person dependency.

What this means for investors For TAO holders, the roadmap addresses the single biggest governance risk that has weighed on the token. The April 2026 price drop following Covenant AI’s departure demonstrated how directly governance concerns translate into market impact.

The conviction-based voting mechanism deserves particular attention from investors. If implemented correctly, it could create a structural incentive for longer-term holding, reducing sell pressure and rewarding patient capital. If implemented poorly, it could entrench existing large holders and create a new form of centralization dressed in governance clothing.

Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.

Bittensor co-founder Jacob Steeves has acknowledged that the protocol is not yet fully decentralized, saying the network still relies on core-team control in key areas while outlining a roadmap to complete decentralization within the next 18 months. Steeves, known in the crypto community as Const, said the current structure was not a design failure but a strategic decision made during the rapid development phase of artificial intelligence.

Bittensor has become one of the most prominent crypto-AI networks, using its TAO token to reward participants that contribute useful digital commodities, including machine intelligence, compute, storage and other services across specialized subnets. The project has attracted strong investor attention because it attempts to create an open market for AI resources outside the control of large technology companies.

However, its decentralization claims have faced growing scrutiny. Critics have argued that while Bittensor has open participation and distributed token ownership, important parts of the protocol still depend on a small group of engineers and core contributors. Steeves’ roadmap appears to directly address that criticism by acknowledging that Bittensor is not yet comparable to Bitcoin in terms of decentralization.

Centralization was a strategic trade-off Steeves said Bittensor’s centralization reflects the need to move quickly in a fast-changing AI market. Unlike Bitcoin, which was designed primarily as a censorship-resistant monetary system, Bittensor is trying to build an adaptive intelligence marketplace. That has required frequent upgrades, rapid error correction and active protocol design.

The key issue is the economic incentive layer. Reports summarizing Steeves’ roadmap say Bittensor remains directionally guided by the core team, particularly around emissions, validator behavior and protocol-level incentives. That matters because Bittensor’s value proposition depends on whether the network can fairly reward useful intelligence production without excessive control from insiders or dominant validators.

The network has expanded significantly, with active subnet teams and validators competing to produce and evaluate different digital services. But decentralization is not only about the number of participants. It also depends on who controls upgrades, who determines incentives, how emissions are allocated and whether governance can function without informal founder authority.

Steeves’ admission may therefore be important for credibility. Rather than defending the protocol as already fully decentralized, he is framing decentralization as a process that must now become the project’s main priority.

Roadmap aims to reduce founder control The 18-month roadmap includes several mechanisms intended to shift Bittensor away from core-team dependence. Planned changes include stronger validator competition, new liquidity pools that could help balance market dynamics, a conviction mechanism that allows token holders to signal long-term commitment, and steps to remove value extractors from the ecosystem.

The conviction mechanism is especially important because it could give committed TAO holders more formal influence while making short-term manipulation harder. Liquidity pools and shorting mechanisms could also help create more efficient markets around subnet assets and reduce the risk that attackers manipulate network growth or emissions.

If successful, the changes would move Bittensor closer to a model where validators, subnet operators and token holders collectively govern the system. That would help answer one of the biggest questions facing crypto-AI networks: whether they can scale without becoming dependent on the same centralized decision-making they claim to replace.

The challenge is execution. Decentralizing too quickly could slow development or expose the protocol to governance attacks. Moving too slowly could strengthen criticism that Bittensor is decentralized in branding but centralized in practice.

For investors, the roadmap adds both opportunity and risk. TAO’s long-term value depends heavily on whether Bittensor can become credible infrastructure for decentralized AI. Full decentralization would strengthen that thesis, but failure to deliver could undermine one of the protocol’s core narratives.

Steeves’ message is ultimately a reset of expectations. Bittensor is not yet fully decentralized, but its founder is now putting a timeline on when it should become so. The next 18 months may determine whether Bittensor can evolve from a founder-led crypto-AI network into a genuinely decentralized intelligence market.

The cryptocurrency market trades amid increasing sell-side pressure on Tuesday, reflecting a broader deterioration in sentiment and appetite for risk assets. Artificial Intelligence (AI)-linked tokens such as Bittensor (TAO) and Near Protocol (NEAR) exhibit both fundamental and technical weaknesses, trading at $217 and $1.99, respectively.

The ongoing crypto market downturn, highlighted by Bitcoin (BTC) retesting the $62,000 support level, appears primarily driven by persistent geopolitical uncertainty. Investors remain cautious as the United States (US) and Iran issued conflicting statements regarding the peace framework reached at last weekend’s negotiations in Switzerland.

Sentiment in the wider crypto market remains in Extreme Fear territory, as evidenced by the Fear & Greed Index, which climbed only marginally to 23 on Tuesday, up from 20 the day before. This subdued sentiment indicates that appetite for risk assets is significantly low, leaving prices vulnerable to limited liquidity, low demand and lack of a follow-through tailwind.

Crypto Fear & Greed Index | Source: AlternativeBittensor remains under pressure amid lingering capital outflowsRetail participation in Bittensor continues to wane, with Futures Open Interest (OI) averaging $223 million on Tuesday, down from $239 million the previous day. While OI briefly surged to $357 million on June 15 amid heightened derivatives activity, the subsequent unwinding of long positions underscores a prevailing lack of confidence in Bittensor’s capacity to maintain upward momentum.

Bittensor Futures OI | Source: CoinGlassBittensor trades around $217, maintaining a bearish near-term tone as price holds beneath a dense cluster of Exponential Moving Averages (EMAs). The 50-day EMA at $247, the 100-day EMA at $253 and the 200-day EMA near $267 all sit overhead as dynamic resistance, reinforcing the broader downtrend marked by the descending resistance trend line projecting toward the $291 area.

Momentum appears mixed with the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) histogram contracting just above the zero line on the daily chart, hinting at fading downside pressure. On the other hand, the Relative Strength Index (RSI) around 41 on the same chart reflects subdued buying interest rather than a convincing bullish reversal.

TAO/USDT daily chartInitial resistance is aligned with the Bollinger Bands’ center line at roughly $227, with further hurdles at the 50-day EMA near $247 and the 100-day EMA at $253. A sustained break above the 200-day EMA around $265 would be needed to challenge the broader downtrend and re-expose the descending trendline region near $291. Conversely, support is anticipated at the $200 psychological level, followed by the lower Bollinger Band, currently near $181, which mark the next meaningful demand areas if bearish pressure intensifies.

Near Protocol drawdown continues amid waning retail demandCapital outflows from Near Protocol derivatives remain persistent, as reflected in the perpetual futures OI falling to $390 million on Tuesday from nearly $453 million the day before. CoinGlass data show a brief surge in OI to $558 million on June 16, followed by a decline that hints at diminishing risk appetite.

Near Protocol | Source: CoinGlassNEAR trades around $1.99, consolidating in the middle of its downward-sloping channel and facing a mildly bearish near‑term tone as it sits just under the 50‑day EMA at $2.01. The spot price remains above the 100‑day and 200‑day EMAs at $1.82 and $1.79, respectively, which suggests an underlying medium‑term base.

Nevertheless, the negative MACD histogram on the daily chart and an RSI around 45 hint that upside momentum is fading. Near Protocol is also capped below the Parabolic SAR at $2.56.

NEAR/USDT daily chartOn the topside, initial resistance is highlighted by the 50‑day EMA at $2.01. A daily close above this level would expose the upper boundary of the descending channel near $2.23, ahead of a stronger barrier at the latest Parabolic SAR reading around $2.56. Looking down, immediate demand is seen at the 100‑day EMA at $1.82, followed by the 200‑day EMA at $1.79. A decisive break below this support cluster could open the way toward the channel floor down at $1.08.

(The technical analysis of this story was written with the help of an AI tool.)

Open Interest, funding rate FAQs Higher Open Interest is associated with higher liquidity and new capital inflow to the market. This is considered the equivalent of increase in efficiency and the ongoing trend continues. When Open Interest decreases, it is considered a sign of liquidation in the market, investors are leaving and the overall demand for an asset is on a decline, fueling a bearish sentiment among investors.

Funding fees bridge the difference between spot prices and prices of futures contracts of an asset by increasing liquidation risks faced by traders. A consistently high and positive funding rate implies there is a bullish sentiment among market participants and there is an expectation of a price hike. A consistently negative funding rate for an asset implies a bearish sentiment, indicating that traders expect the cryptocurrency’s price to fall and a bearish trend reversal is likely to occur.

Kim Asendorf's PXL DEX is an onchain art collection that links NFTs and ERC-20s in a way we've never seen before.

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In recent times, there's been a wave of experiments tying NFTs and fungible ERC-20s more tightly together. Think DN-404, ERC-20z, Apptokens, etc.

But what happens when an artist dives in at this crossroads to make an entirely new kind of onchain artwork?

We got a glimpse at the possibilities here this month, as Kim Asendorf just released his latest series PXL DEX.

— FLAMINGO 🦩 (@FLAMINGODAO) January 16, 2025 Asendorf is a German visual artist who specializes in digital conceptual art. People in the NFT space are most likely to recognize his work via collections like Cargo and SABOTAGE.

His creations challenge viewers to reflect on their relationship with technology, presenting both simple and complex digital worlds for interpretation. This same spirit unsurprisingly animates PXL DEX.

Congrats to @kimasendorf on the release of PXL DEX, thrilled to see dynamic artworks onchain receiving so much positive attention and deserved acclaim.

PXL DECK 175, owned by @matto__matto

2025 looking to be a great year for art on Ethereum 🫡 pic.twitter.com/nVvlX7akBd

— Material Protocol Arts (@material_work) January 22, 2025 Yet PXL DEX stands out in Asendorf's oeuvre in the way that it combines both NFTs and ERC-20 tokens toward achieving dynamism and interactivity.

How PXL DEX worksWhen collectors minted one of the 256 PXL DEX NFTs, they simultaneously minted a corresponding number of PXL tokens (ERC-20).

By default, 50,000 PXL tokens fill the NFT, starting its pixelated animation. Collectors could mint up to 500,000 PXL tokens during the initial minting, plus they can later choose to add more.

Each PXL token represents a pixel within the NFT’s animation, with the number of PXL tokens determines the artwork's density, from faint and minimal to dense and vibrant.

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— marka (@marka_eth) January 21, 2025 Accordingly, collectors can adjust their Deck’s appearance over time by depositing or withdrawing PXL tokens, curating the animation’s complexity.

All elements of the NFTs—animations, metadata, and visuals—are notably stored directly on Ethereum, i.e. fully onchain. There's no reliance on private servers, Arweave, IPFS, etc.

As for the animations, they're rendered in real-time using custom WebGL and shader coding, and they can become so complex that they essentially become impossible to convey.

"At the blockchain level it's technically possible to add infinitely more PXL to a Deck, but eventually it will strain the ability of any computer to render the animation," as the critic and filmmaker Kevin Buist noted in his editorial Tokenizing Pixels.

Why it mattersSpeaking of Buist, he also perfect summarized why PXL DEX is artistically significant in that same editorial:

"Digital art, particularly when made from the ground up with custom code, lends itself naturally to the kind of broad conceptual questions that move past the visual content of a work and straight to the heart of what a thing is and what it does. The animations of PXL DEX are beautiful and entrancing, but this is not a screensaver. This is a series that probes the borders of what screen-based work can be, which also involves the viewer/collector in a way that pushes beyond perception into collaboration."That said, PXL DEX is onchain not just for the sake of being onchain, but specifically to use tokens to enable the very collaboration that the series artistically and foundationally springs from.

But another reason why PXL DEX is significant is because what it will inspire going forward—both in the artist and across the wider cryptoart community.

What I mean with regard to Asendorf is that he's only just beginning to dig into the possibilities here, as he's planning more PXL releases in the future.

"PXL DEX is the first artwork within the PXL ecosystem, an ongoing work series to experiment with pixels as utility tokens," he's explained.

I don't want to rank or say what project is best, but PXL DEX by @kimasendorf is a gorgeous and thoughtful piece of work. Visually stunning, exploring the medium's native capabilities and self-releasing the work. Excited about what's coming this year. pic.twitter.com/gLjIF9elh5

— rudxane (@rudxane1) January 21, 2025 This collection has already become a sensation with more than a few cryptoart and fully onchain connoisseurs, so the prospects of more and potentially larger related experiments is something collector types will want to track in the months ahead.

And then as far as the community goes, it's no stretch to assume that PXL DEX will inspire a new wave of hybrid NFT and ERC-20 projects that are explicitly artistic in nature rather than directly tied to games, PFPs, etc. So that's another thread you'll want to keep an eye on.

This new release may fly under the radar for many as niche. But for those of us who do zoom in, it reminds us that the line between creator and audience is increasingly being blurred in onchain art, and in that blurring, even more experiments and opportunities are on the way.

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Pixels and Forgotten Runiverse, a pair of crypto games on the gaming-focused Ethereum scaling network Ronin, are teaming up to bring Pixels’ PIXEL token to the Runiverse—the massively-multiplayer online role-playing game or MMORPG that just opened to the public in early access.

Forgotten Runiverse, developed by Biosonic, is based on the lore of the Ethereum NFT collection Forgotten Runes Wizard’s Cult. The game opted to move from layer-2 Arbitrum to Ronin in July 2024 and will eventually have its own native token, XP, which will act as the ecosystem token for Forgotten Runes.

Social farming game Pixels also made its own move to Ronin in late 2023, driving substantial renewed attention to the Ethereum network ahead of last year’s launch of the PIXEL token. Amid a recent push to open up Ronin to all builders, the two teams are now collaborating.

“We’ve always seen a lot of potential synergy between our teams, as we both are focused on creating interoperable, sustainable Web3 economies, and we’re constantly thinking about how we can work together to push that vision forward,” Pixels founder Luke Barwikowski told Decrypt.

“Honestly, if there’s one thing the industry needs right now, it’s more collaboration,” he added. “Ultimately, this is a win-win for all of us.”

Thanks to the collaboration, Runiverse players will be able to claim PIXEL rewards with Quanta—the in-game currency of the Forgotten Runiverse. PIXEL will also be used for purchasing mana, boosts, and exclusive items within the game. 

How the Pixels x Forgotten Runiverse collaboration will work. Image: Pixels/Forgotten Runiverse“By integrating PIXEL into the Runiverse, we’re offering players the chance to engage with a proven token economy inside a new game,” Biosonic COO Shane Bierwith told Decrypt. “This not only adds immediate utility for PIXEL, but also strengthens our own ecosystem as we prepare to launch our native token, XP.”

The teams expect that the integration will not only enhance token utility for PIXEL, but also “offer valuable data to optimize player engagement and play-to-earn strategies.” 

“Success, for us, comes down to the data,” said Barwikowski. “We’re all about using big data, AI, and predictive analytics to refine our play-to-earn models and boost reward efficiency.”

“Partnering with Forgotten Runiverse allows us to dive deep into player behavior, optimize our P2E systems, and ultimately improve retention and engagement,” he continued. “By building more insights through this partnership, we aim to develop strategies and data points that we can take to additional teams in the future.”

Bierwith too will be analyzing the data, telling Decrypt that Biosonic will measure “how effectively PIXEL drives repeat engagement, retention, and meaningful in-game spend,” including how many users swap Quanta into PIXEL and how it’s used in the game’s gacha-style rewards system called the Font of Memory.

To commemorate the collaboration, Runiverse-themed quests will launch in Pixels, plus a special Runiverse avatar will be available prior to the official launch of PIXEL in the fantasy MMORPG. That token integration is expected to take place sometime this quarter.

Barwikowski said that this integration with the Forgotten Runiverse team is “just the start.”

“The ultimate goal is to work together and bring Web3 into the mainstream,” he told Decrypt. “At Pixels, we’re committed to sharing our insights and tools to help other games scale and grow because collective progress helps us all in the long-term.”

Pixels has generated more than $20 million in revenue and boasts more than 10 million registered players, according to its team. PIXEL has already been integrated into not only the core Pixels game but also spinoff Pixel Dungeons, which launched in December.

Edited by Andrew Hayward

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PIXEL Price Surges 150% as Social Volume Hits Yearly High

In brief Ethereum game Pixels is offering token rewards for players who successfully flirt with AI-powered NPCs, with the top 500 players earning PIXEL tokens and possibly future AIV tokens. Players must purchase a key for PIXEL tokens to access the limited-time flirting challenge, which ends May 22. • This feature is part of Pixels' broader strategy to enhance player engagement through AI integration. Ethereum farming game Pixels is currently offering players the opportunity to earn a token airdrop by flirting with an AI-powered non-player character (NPC)—yes, really.

Players have jokingly branded the experience as a “rizz-to-earn” mini-game, in the wake of the popular but fleeting play-to-earn and tap-to-earn game models.

Players must load up Pixels and head over to Terra Villa before entering AiVeronica’s castle to purchase a key for 100 PIXEL tokens ($5). You can also buy one from the AiVeronica site for 77 PIXEL ($4), but the supply is close to running out. Then you’ll be able to enter the room and start rizzing it up.

You’ll be welcomed by a character with its own distinct personality, interests, and story. Gamers earn points based on how well they sweet-talk the character, and players that earn more than 80 points will rank on a campaign leaderboard. 

AIVeronica is coming to @pixels_online !

Meet her as she's tapping into the exciting world of Pixels - best thing: she’s not coming alone. 💜✨

Explore the castle, where every heartbeat matters and every choice can change your fate.

In this all-new Pixels experience:

💟… pic.twitter.com/aeTdfGAMTO

— AiVeronica (@Aiveronica_) May 7, 2025

The top 500 players that reach a score of 80 points or higher in the shortest time will receive PIXEL rewards. These rewards will be determined by the key sales, with the top 10 players each earning 1% of the PIXEL pool, ranks 11-100 getting 0.3% each, and anyone below that 0.2% apiece. There is also the potential for a future airdrop of AiVeronica tokens, AIV, in the future.

The rizz-filled quest started last week and will run until Thursday, May 22. So, how do you become the rizz king? Turns out it’s just a vibe.

“Unfortunately, you can’t really teach rizz—you have to just feel it,” Luke Franks, a crypto gaming content creator that has a brand deal with AiVeronica, jokingly told Decrypt. “But also yes, each character has a special interest, so try and work it out quickly and talk to them about what they like. That will get you points fast.”

AiVerionica is an AI agent that learns by interacting with players in video games. Developed in partnership with the Virtuals Protocol, the agent has its own token that is currently sitting at a $4.5 million market cap, according to DEX Screener. While powered by AiVeronica, the in-game characters are technically considered her friends, not necessarily Veronica herself.

While fun and certainly funny, the rizz-to-earn quest is part of a broader exploration into how advanced AI NPCs like AiVeronica can improve gaming experiences.

“AiVeronica is part of our long-term vision to push the boundaries of storytelling and interaction in Pixels, as a way to increase community engagement,” Pixels founder Luke Barwikowski told Decrypt. “We're already exploring future AI-powered features, like an AI agent farmhand, to deepen the gameplay experience. Our goal is to make Pixels a living, evolving world, and AI plays a role in accomplishing that.”

The evolution of AI has already influenced the crypto gaming industry, with Ethereum metaverse Decentraland adding AI NPCs in 2023. Similarly, a wave of mods hit traditional gaming that same year, with a Grand Theft Auto 5 mod allowing NPCs to hurl insults at you.

And on Friday, an AI-powered Darth Vader was added to Fortnite, using the recreated likeness of the late voice actor James Earl Jones—but it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, as players were able to get it to swear and slur pretty easily.

Still, AI is a powerful tool to help make gaming experiences feel more alive. Barwikowski said that the flirty quest highlights the game’s goal to create “unique, memorable experiences” for players.

“We’re always looking for new ways to bring players together through meaningful in-game activities,” he said. “AIVeronica’s friends aren’t just NPCs, as they react to player choices, change the storyline, and feel like real characters. It’s a big step toward our vision of making Pixels a world where characters feel alive and player decisions have impact.”

Edited by Andrew Hayward

Daily Debrief NewsletterStart every day with the top news stories right now, plus original features, a podcast, videos and more.

The crypto market is bracing for significant token unlocks in the third week of August 2025. Approximately $1 billion in new token supplies will hit the market. 

Three prominent projects, LayerZero (ZRO), KAITO (KAITO), and Soon (SOON), will release substantial token volumes, potentially driving market volatility and influencing short-term price dynamics. 

1. LayerZero (ZRO) Unlock Date: August 20 Number of Tokens to be Unlocked: 25.71 million ZRO (2.57% of Total Supply) Current Circulating Supply: 111.15 million ZRO Total Supply: 1 billion ZRO LayerZero is an interoperability protocol designed to enable seamless communication across different blockchains. It supports censorship-resistant, permissionless development with immutable smart contracts. 

On August 20, LayerZero will release 25.71 million ZRO tokens, valued at approximately $51.9 million. These tokens account for 23.14% of the current circulating supply. 

ZRO Token Unlock in August. Source: TokenomistOverall, the allocation includes 13.42 million ZRO for strategic partners, 10.63 million tokens for core contributors, and 1.67 million ZRO for tokens repurchased by the team. 

2. KAITO (KAITO) Unlock Date: August 20 Number of Tokens to be Unlocked: 23.35 million KAITO (2.3% of Total Supply) Current Circulating Supply: 241.38 million KAITO Total Supply: 1 billion KAITO Kaito is an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered Web3 information platform that aggregates and analyzes cryptocurrency market data from diverse sources like social media, governance forums, news and more. The KAITO token serves as a medium of exchange, governance tool, and incentive mechanism within the platform. 

On August 20, the team will unlock 23.35 million tokens, representing 9.68% of the current circulating supply. The supply is worth approximately $24.73 million.

KAITO Token Unlock in August. Source: TokenomistThe team will split the unlocked tokens three ways. The foundation will receive 1.19 million tokens. Furthermore, the team will direct 7.16 million KAITO for ecosystem and network growth and 15 million tokens for long-term creator incentives.

3. Soon (SOON) Unlock Date: August 23 Number of Tokens to be Unlocked: 41.88 million SOON (4.32% of Total Supply) Current Circulating Supply: 235.06 million Total Supply: 969.9 million SOON is a high-performance Solana Virtual Machine (SVM) Rollup, designed to implement the Super Adoption Stack. It includes three main components: SOON Mainnet,  SOON Stack, and InterSOON.

The network will unlock 41.88 million tokens worth around $11.74 million. The unlocked supply accounts for 17.82% of the current supply in circulation. 

SOON Token Unlock in August. Source: TokenomistSOON will allocate 26.67 million tokens to SOONer, a collection of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) built on the Solana (SOL) blockchain. Moreover, it will keep 8.30 million tokens for an airdrop to NFT holders. 

The team has earmarked 4.17 million SOON for the ecosystem, 2.22 million tokens for community incentives, and 520,830 tokens for airdrop and liquidity.

In addition to these three, other major projects will release tokens during this period. Investors can look out for token unlocks from Avail (AVAIL), Pixels (PIXEL), Polyhedra Network (ZKJ), and IOTA (IOTA).

Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center has reached a $600,000 settlement over alleged unauthorized tracking on its public website.

Why It Matters The class action lawsuit, Warren v. Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center, was filed in the Superior Court of the State of California, County of Los Angeles, on March 9, 2023.

The plaintiffs allege that Pomona Valley Hospital's use of Facebook Pixel and other similar technology on its public website violates wiretapping and other statutes under the Website Usage Disclosure. A Facebook pixel is a code placed on websites to track customer actions.

Pomona Valley Hospital denies any wrongdoing. In a statement to Newsweek, the hospital said it "vehemently denies all claims asserted in the class action and that it did anything wrong by using website tracking technology."

What To Know According to the hospital’s privacy policy, non-personal information, like IP address or type of internet browser used, may be collected. The hospital said that it uses collected information primarily for internal purposes, such as providing, maintaining, evaluating, improving its services and website, fulfilling requests for information and providing customer support. Any sensitive data collected, like credit card information, is encrypted and transmitted in a secure way, according to the hospital's privacy policy. Cookies are used on the website but the hospital said it does not sell collected information to outside parties.

Pomona Valley Hospital told Newsweek that it does not believe any health or medical information was transmitted to Facebook or any other third party.

"Like other health care entities that use similar website tracking technology and settled similar class actions, PVHMC determined that it was in the best interest of the hospital and its patients to settle this matter," Pomona Valley Hospital said in a statement.

California residents who visited the hospital’s website and logged into their patient portal between January 1, 2019, and December 31, 2022, may qualify for the payout.

According to Kroll Settlement Administration, the settlement fund covers attorney’s fees and expenses up to $200,000, service award to class representatives up to $3,000 and settlement administration costs, which are still to be determined. The payment to eligible members will come from the remainder of the fund.

Participating class members will receive a pro rata cash payment from the settlement fund. Members do not have to apply for the fund; they will automatically receive a check or electronic payment. The settlement administrator will use the hospital's records to identify eligible class members.

"As always, PVHMC continues to work diligently and follow best practices to protect patient data integrity and meet or exceed standards for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliance," the hospital said.

What Happens Next Those who choose to opt out of the settlement must do so by December 9, 2025. Members can also file an objection to the settlement. This means the member does not like the settlement or parts of the settlement and does not think it should be approved. Objections must be filed in writing to the Settlement Administrator by December 9, 2025.

The final fairness hearing will take place on January 26, 2026.

Participating members do not have to attend the hearing to receive the funds but are welcome to speak to the court during the hearing. Payments will then be distributed after any appeals and the court grants final approval of the settlement.

Newsweek reached out to the plaintiffs' lawyers for comment.

UPDATE 10/24/2025 4:40 p.m.: This story was updated with comment from Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center.

Have an announcement or news to share? Contact the Newsweek Health Care team at [email protected].

In the evolving landscape of blockchain technology, Solana has rapidly emerged as a platform not merely defined by its technical capabilities but by its broader implications for economic infrastructure. By enabling the class of decentralized applications, SOL is positioning itself as a high-performance blockchain and a foundational layer for the next-generation economic activity. 

Why Infrastructure That Enables Continuous Markets In an X post, crypto analyst Vibhu mentioned that Solana is no longer just a piece of financial technology, but a fully functioning economy. What exists on SOL today has gone beyond transactions and smart contracts. 

According to the expert, there are dollars and native currencies, real-world assets, metals and rare minerals, energy market, information markets, manufacturing primitives, and global trade rails all operating in real-time on-chain. SOL also has politics, governance processes, divided factions, and ongoing debates about the leading network’s future.

At this point, we are witnessing the birth of a country that lives entirely on the internet. Measured through economic output, SOL would rank around the 157th largest country in the world by GDP (Gross Domestic Product), comparable in size to nations such as Eswatini or Fiji. However, SOL is globally integrated by default, and from a forex and asset-flow perspective, it punches above its weight, integrating with the largest banks and financial institutions across the globe.

Furthermore, SOL has withstood sustained network attacks from nation-state actors, defending itself with systems engineers instead of armies. Economically, SOL is already engaged in trade with countries like Bhutan, ranked 164, the Isle of Man, ranked 154, and even Kazakhstan, which ranks 49 in global economic standings. “Solana is a digital country, and I am proud to be a citizen,” Vibhu noted.

Why Real-Time On-Chain UX Finally Works On Solana Solana continues to see key updates and integration that tend to bolster the network capabilities. Co-founder of TeamElevenX1 and Ambassador at Solflare, Kristofer_Sol, has highlighted that MagicBlock is quietly doing some of the most important work in the Solana ecosystem, pushing real-time SOL closer to true production scale. 

At the center of this shift is the deep integration of compressed accounts into the Light Protocol inside Ephemeral Rollups, reducing rent costs by up to 200 times, while still functioning like a normal account for developers. The compression demo is already live, and real applications are actively using it today. Others like Rush Trade deliver faster trades, and Pixels achieve smooth, real-time pixel updates. 

Kristofer_Sol stated that this is what a scalable on-chain user experience actually looks like. With low-cost reduction and speed improvements happening without forcing developers to rewrite everything, MagicBlock is quietly removing the friction that has held back games, social apps, and consumer products on SOL.

SOL trading at $123 on the 1D chart | Source: SOLUSDT on Tradingview.com Featured image from Freepik, chart from Tradingview.com

TL;DR: Add a second screen anywhere with the Mobile Pixels Duex Float 2 Pro 16-inch portable monitor, now $279.99 (reg. $389.99).

Working from a laptop has its limits. You start strong with one screen, but soon, tabs multiply, windows overlap, and even simple tasks start to slow down. The Mobile Pixels Duex Float 2 Pro is designed to solve all that, giving you a bright, portable second screen that goes wherever you do, whether it’s at your desk, on the couch, or on the road. It’s currently on sale for $279.99 (reg. $389.99).

Mobile Pixels Duex Float 2 Pro The Duex Float 2 Pro’s 16-inch portable monitor adds extra workspace without the additional bulk. Its vibrant IPS LCD brings a roomy 16:10 aspect ratio, crisp 2560 x 1600 resolution, and ultra-smooth 120Hz refresh rate. Expect sharp text, lively colors, and smooth scrolling — plus 100% sRGB coverage for true-to-life hues. The anti-glare finish and 350 nits of brightness keep things easy on the eyes during marathon work sessions, and integrated stereo speakers mean you don’t need extra gear for audio.

What makes this monitor stand out is its flexibility. The newly engineered kickstand supports three viewing modes: a stacked dual-screen setup above your laptop, a presentation mode that flips the screen 180 degrees for easy sharing, and a freestanding desktop mode for gaming, content creation or document viewing. A magnetic attachment system allows it to pair with nearly any laptop size, and the entire setup is designed to feel stable.

Connectivity is a breeze and travel-friendly. Two USB-C ports deliver 65W pass-through charging, so your laptop stays powered up while the monitor runs. There’s also a mini-HDMI port for extra flexibility. A single cable handles both video and power and plug-and-play support covers macOS, Windows, Linux, Nintendo Switch, and select Android devices with Samsung DeX.

This extra monitor is a smart fit for multitasking pros, students dealing with research and notes, creators managing timelines and previews — anyone who wants a more comfortable, flexible way to work without the bulk of a full desktop setup. It’s also slimmer and lighter than previous models, so that it won’t weigh you down day to day.

The Mobile Pixels Duex Float 2 Pro 16-inch portable second monitor is currently priced at $279.99 (reg. $389.99). If a second screen would make your workday smoother without tying you to one desk, this setup offers a practical upgrade.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Key Points

Stacked is a new rewards app built by the Pixels team. Earn and track rewards across multiple games in one place!

Get AI-Powered Player Insights: Studios can use Stacked’s AI game economist to analyze cohorts, spot churn patterns, and suggest reward experiments worth running next.

How to use Stacked: it’s simple to get started for everyone!

Join Stacked Start Getting Rewards!

Welcome to Ronin, Stacked! For years, Web3 gaming rewards have faced a flurry of challenges: Bots, farmed quests, payout design challenges, impractical reward loops, and more. Pixels built Stacked to fix this.

Stacked is a new kind of rewards program. Play multiple games, complete missions, build streaks, earn rewards, and withdraw them from a single app. Behind the scenes, Stacked also provides studios with deep player insight including complex event tracking, precise targeting, reward logic, tight fraud controls, and automated payouts.

Stacked is easy for gamers to use. Download the app, play games, complete missions tailored to your playstyle, and claim your rewards. All in one place. Stacked aims to give players:

Real Games & Clear Rewards: No impossible hoops to jump through to get paid via fun games

A Unified Ecosystem: A single account to seamlessly track and claim everything across the platform

Diverse Reward Triggers: Moving beyond just raw playtime, Stacked rewards the behaviors that actually matter like in-game progression, daily consistency, content creation, team challenges, and referrals.

Strict Data Privacy: Personal data is never sold to third parties. All gameplay signals stay securely inside the Stacked system solely to improve your reward matching.

Stacked helps developers understand which behaviors to reward and why. It’s the infrastructure Pixels wishes they had from day one. Think of it like a LiveOps engine rather than a typical Web3 quest board. Once a studio integrates and begins feeding gameplay events into the app, Stacked takes the heavy lifting out of the economy by helping determine:

Who should receive a reward

What specific actions they are being rewarded for

When the reward should be triggered

What type of reward is most effective

The ultimate goal is precision: incentivizing the right behavior, for the right user, at the exact right moment. More importantly, it allows studios to measure whether those rewards actually moved the needle on core metrics like retention, revenue, or Lifetime Value (LTV). This transforms Stacked into a comprehensive system for running reward-driven LiveOps, fully equipped with granular controls for targeting, pricing, attribution, and preventing bot abuse.

Stacked features a powerful agent layer and AI game economist designed to help LiveOps teams move faster and make data-driven decisions. Instead of manually digging through raw data, developers will be able to ask the system complex economic questions, such as:

What are my most loyal users doing before Day 30?

What separates whales who retain from whales who churn?

What reward experiments should we run to improve Day 7 retention?

Based on prompts like these, the system can generate comprehensive reports, identify meaningful player cohorts, suggest LiveOps experiments, and help teams create new reward logic tied to the outcomes they actually care about. The Pixels team have already been testing it in games including Pixels, Pixel Dungeons, and Chubkins.

For Players: https://stacked.xyz

For Studios: https://stacked.xyz/business

The Pixels team will share more details as the rollout expands. For now, we’re excited to help them showcase what they’ve been building behind the scenes for the ecosystem.

Find Out More About Stacked

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