New Zealand's central bank is advocating for banks to offer free cash services across the country. Bloomberg posted on X, highlighting the central bank's push against the trend of branch closures and ATM fees that have made accessing cash more challenging for consumers. This initiative aims to ensure that all citizens have easy and cost-free access to cash, addressing concerns over the diminishing availability of physical currency services. The proposal comes amid ongoing discussions about the future of cash in a rapidly digitalizing economy.

Wesco International Inc. has successfully attracted nearly $6 billion in orders for its junk bond offering, highlighting the strong demand from investors for companies benefiting from the artificial intelligence boom. Bloomberg posted on X, noting the significant interest in Wesco's financial move. The company, which specializes in electrical and industrial distribution, is capitalizing on the growing interest in AI technologies. This surge in demand reflects a broader trend where investors are keen to support firms that are poised to benefit from advancements in AI. Wesco's bond offering is part of a larger strategy to leverage the current market enthusiasm for AI-related growth. The company's ability to draw such substantial interest underscores the confidence investors have in its potential to capitalize on the AI wave. This development comes as companies across various sectors are increasingly looking to integrate AI into their operations, driving investor interest in firms that are at the forefront of this technological shift. Wesco's successful bond offering is a testament to the market's appetite for investment opportunities in the AI space.

Workday CEO Aneel Bhusri stated that prominent AI firms, including Anthropic, are incorporating Workday's products into their operations. Bloomberg posted on X, highlighting Bhusri's remarks amid concerns from investors about potential disruptions in the software industry due to advancements in artificial intelligence. Bhusri emphasized that rather than posing a threat, these AI companies are leveraging Workday's offerings to enhance their capabilities. This integration reflects a collaborative approach between AI innovators and established software providers, suggesting a symbiotic relationship rather than competition. Bhusri's comments aim to reassure stakeholders about the evolving dynamics in the tech sector.

Jinse Finance launches its cryptocurrency and blockchain industry daily news bulletin, "Jinse at 8 AM," issue 2978, providing you with the latest and fastest news on the digital currency and blockchain industry.

It marks the first use of the Protecting American Intellectual Property Act, targeting a firm accused of brokering stolen U. S. cyber tools. source: https://decrypt.co/359064/treasury-sanctions-russian-exploit-broker-stolen-us-cyber-tools

Reignwood is intensifying its strategy to draw international buyers to its luxury residential complex in Thailand. Bloomberg posted on X, highlighting the company's focus on overseas demand as a countermeasure to the ongoing domestic property downturn. The initiative aims to leverage foreign interest to bolster sales and mitigate the impact of the sluggish local market. This approach reflects a broader trend among developers seeking to capitalize on international interest in Thailand's real estate sector.

According to social data across X, Reddit, Telegram, and other platforms, these are the fastest-rising conversations in crypto right now. Jane Street Lawsuit Over LUNA/UST Collapse Terraform Labs’ bankruptcy administrator has sued Jane Street, alleging the firm used non-public liquidity data and private communications to exit UST before the May 2022 depeg. source: https://www.ethnews.com/crypto-social-media-is-exploding-over-these-5-topics/

A recent report from Citizens Bank indicates that prediction markets are experiencing rapid growth, with current annualized revenue exceeding $3 billion and projected to reach $10 billion by 2030, establishing themselves as a new asset class. The report shows a continued rise in prediction market trading volume. January's volume increased by over 40% compared to December, and February maintained a similar level, despite the expected decline after the traditional sports season. Analysts believe this trend reflects the transformation of prediction markets from a niche betting tool to a mature financial market. Citizens Bank identifies increased trading volume, a more robust market structure, and initial participation from institutional investors as key drivers of this growth. Currently, some institutions are entering the market as data users and liquidity providers, laying the foundation for wider institutional adoption. Prediction markets allow traders to price and hedge risks associated with discrete events such as election results, interest rate decisions, or merger approvals. Compared to proxy tools like index futures or options, they can reduce basis risk and provide real-time probability signals. Analysts point out that the development path of prediction markets is similar to that of the early derivatives market and digital asset industry, gradually transitioning from retail investor-dominated liquidity to participation from market makers and institutional funds. Currently, representative platforms include the regulated event contract exchange Kalshi and the decentralized prediction market Polymarket, and the industry as a whole is gradually moving towards the mainstream financial system.

As artificial intelligence continues to attract significant venture capital and market attention, some industry insiders are beginning to worry whether the crypto industry has missed its "ChatGPT moment." In response, Haseeb Qureshi, Managing Partner of crypto investment firm Dragonfly, stated that this comparison is misleading; the crypto industry has not been replaced by AI, and the shift in capital flows is simply "a result of the normal workings of capitalism." Qureshi pointed out that AI and crypto products are fundamentally different. Currently, most AI users utilize free services, while crypto assets do not have a "free tier." He stated that approximately 80% of Americans have tried AI tools, and about 15% have held crypto assets, which already represents widespread adoption. He believes the core fundamentals of the crypto industry remain solid, especially the outstanding growth of stablecoins, whose supply continues to maintain an annual growth rate of approximately 50%. Despite a cooling market sentiment, the overall size of crypto assets remains around $2 trillion, with high technological leverage, allowing small teams to build global-scale projects. Regarding the significant shift of venture capital funds towards AI, Qureshi believes this does not signify the decline of the crypto industry, but rather a correction of the excessive financing of previous years. He stated that increasing investment during market downturns is actually a more rational strategy, and Dragonfly's recent announcement of a new $650 million fund is based on this judgment. Qureshi holds a cautious view regarding the prospects of combining AI and cryptography. He believes that it will still take several years for AI agents to truly adopt cryptography on a large scale, and AI will not be the "savior" of the crypto industry's recovery. Qureshi concluded that the crypto industry is currently facing more cyclical fluctuations than structural recessions, and market volatility is a normal part of long-term development. "There's no need to be overly pessimistic; this is not a disaster."

Avichal Garg, a partner at Electric Capital, points out that as AI agents become increasingly autonomous, developers are starting to configure them with crypto wallets, enabling the software to hold assets, pay service fees, trade tokens, and even hire other AI agents. This trend is driving crypto technology into a new phase—building financial systems for “non-human entities,” but the relevant legal framework is still significantly lagging behind. He believes that with the programmable funds, instant settlement, and global accessibility of blockchain, AI agents can not only make decisions but also independently complete transactions, thus forming software entities that can “think and execute financial activities.” Garg states that this model is similar to the emergence of the limited liability company system in the 19th century, releasing new productivity thresholds for economic activity. As the cost of participation continues to decrease, more individuals and teams worldwide can create economic value with the help of AI agents. However, the core issue remains the definition of legal liability. Since AI itself cannot be punished, there is still no clear answer as to who should bear the responsibility if an AI agent with an independent wallet participates in transactions, lending, or business activities and causes losses. This issue may become a fundamental problem that regulators must face in the future.

The White House recently reiterated that President Trump currently has no plans to pardon FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF). Despite SBF's recent frequent pronouncements on social media, seen as an attempt to garner political support, these efforts have yet to yield results. Reportedly, SBF has been posting almost daily on the X platform in recent weeks, expressing support for Trump and his economic policies while criticizing Democrats and expressing dissatisfaction with the judge presiding over his case. He has also repeatedly claimed that "FTX remains solvent," but has not yet formally requested a pardon. Media reports previously indicated that Trump had no intention of pardoning SBF, a position subsequently confirmed by a White House official, citing Trump's remarks in a January interview that he had no plans to pardon several prominent figures, including SBF. However, the White House did not specify whether future policy changes are possible. While Trump has pardoned some prominent figures in the crypto industry since taking office, analysts believe the likelihood of SBF, who donated approximately $5.2 million to the Biden campaign in 2020, receiving a pardon remains low.

A 42-year-old Sydney man has been charged over a crypto investment scam that allegedly stole A$5 million from more than 190 elderly and vulnerable Australians. Police say victims were approached on social media, directed to an online platform called NEXOpayment, and had their money moved through multiple crypto wallets in a pattern like money laundering.

A single security breach has wiped out an entire slice of the Solana ecosystem.

Crypto.com has received conditional approval from the US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency to set up a national trust bank, allowing it to offer custody, staking, and trade settlement under federal regulation. The bank will not take deposits or issue loans, and Crypto.com must meet additional compliance and governance requirements before full authorisation.

Nearly $10 billion in stablecoins has disappeared from Binance since November, marking one of the sharpest liquidity contractions on the world’s largest crypto exchange in months — and signaling that capital may be quietly exiting the market amid ongoing volatility.

With Bitcoin prices halved and IPOs falling below their issue price, crypto exchanges need a new value narrative.

In recent months, many people have been asking Musk the same question through gritted teeth: "Why can't the United States build new power plants like China?"

The trend of media personalities opening accounts associated with altcoins has subsided, and the "holy fathers" and "holy mothers" of the crypto world have also found their own "sons."

DeepSeek may have trained its upcoming AI model using banned Nvidia Blackwell chips, which are not allowed to be sold to China. The chips are believed to be running at a DeepSeek data centre in Inner Mongolia, raising concerns the company may have bypassed US export rules.

Just yesterday, IBM's stock price fell 13.15%, marking its biggest single-day drop since 2000. Its market capitalization plummeted from $240.8 billion to approximately $208.7 billion, a loss of about $31 billion, making it the "latest victim" of the rapid development of artificial intelligence technology.